Rulings pertaining to Fasting & Ramadhan

Abridged by Abu Abdullah Musa al-Burcaawi        

From the works of Sheikh Muhammed Hizaam           

An excellent concise read !!

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Ruling on paying Zakah for building Masjids, Buying Books, Schools, Roads, etc..

 

Q: What is the ruling on paying Zakaah (obligatory charity) money for helping to build a Masjid (mosque) whose construction was halted due to lack of financial resources?

Answered by Sheikh ibn Baaz رحمه الله :

According to the opinion of the majority of Muslim scholars and the Ijma` (consensus) of our Salaf (righteous predecessors), Zakaah is NOT to be paid for constructing Masjids, buying books, etc.

Rather, Zakaah must be spent on the eight categories which are mentioned in the Ayah (Qur’aanic verse) of Surah Al-Tawbah, i.e. the poor, the needy, those employed to collect (the funds), to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islâm), to free captives, for those in debt, in the cause of Allaah, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything).

Your 3 Friends !!!

On the authority of An-Nu’maan Ibn Basheer رضي اللّه عنـه, the Messenger of Allaah (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said:

"There is no male or female slave (of Allaah) except that he/she has for him/herself three friends.

A friend that says:

I am with you, take what you want and leave what you want.

That is his/her wealth.

A friend that says:

I am with you, when you arrive to the door of the King I will leave you.

That is his/her servant(s) and family.

A friend that says:

I am with you whenever you enter and whenever you leave.

That is his/her actions.”

“…but yet he finds it difficult to guard his tongue!”

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said:

“What is surprising is that a person finds it easy keeping away from things like consuming haraam, oppression, adultery, theft, drinking alcohol and looking at the impermissible, but yet he finds it difficult to guard his tongue!

It is such that you will see a man who is viewed to be knowledgeable and is an ascetic worshipper but he speaks words that bring the Wrath of Allaah, without giving them a second thought.

There Is No One More Patient than Allaah !

Sheikh Abdur Rahmaan bin Naasir as-Sa’dee (رحمه الله) said:

The statement of the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) in the Saheeh:

“There is no one more patient than Allaah. They attribute to Him a child and He still cures them and provides for them.” ^[1]

In this narration the complete unrestricted perfection is established for Allaah from every angle. It is established for Allaah from the angle of the text and intellect in every name, attribute and description. From the categories of the completeness of Allaah is patience. The patience which the Messenger of Allaah mentioned concerning Allaah, there is no equivalent to Him from the affair of patience. The patience of Allaah is a patience that is from the completeness of the strength of Allaah as well as the magnificent power of Allaah.

This is in relation to the utmost evil and annoyance that comes from the creation, those whom sustenance is in the hand of Allaah. They have no means of being outside the power of Allaah. All of their sustenance, provisions, necessities and needs are connected to Allaah. There is nothing from it that they can attain except by way of His generosity and from His treasures.

Not every person who extends his hand for Zakaah is Deserving of it

Q. 381. Is every person who extends his hand for Zakaah deserving of it?

Answer by Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih Al- ‘Uthaimeen رحمه الله

Not every person who extends his hand for Zakaah is deserving of it, because there are those among mankind who extend their hands for money while they are wealthy. This type of person will come on the Day of Resurrection while his face will not have a bit of flesh on it, ^[1] may Allaah protect us from that. He will come on the Day of Resurrection, on the Day when the witnesses will stand and the bones of his face will be visible, may Allaah protect us from that, and the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

"He who begs the riches of others to increase his own wealth is asking only for burning coals (in the Hereafter), so let him ask a little or much."^[2]

I would like to take this opportunity to warn those people who ask people in an importune manner when they are in possession of wealth. Indeed, I warn everyone who accepts Zakaah when he is not entitled to receive it. I say to him: If you took Zakaah to which you are not entitled, you are only consuming ill-gotten gains, may Allaah protect us from that, and a person should fear Allaah, for the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

"Whoever tries to make himself self-sufficient, Allaah will make him self-sufficient; and whoever abstains from asking others, Allaah will make him content." ^[3]

But if a man extends his hand to you, and you believe it is most likely that he is entitled to it, and you gave him, then the Zakaah will be counted, and you will have discharged your obligation, even if it became apparent after that that he was not entitled to it. There is no need to think that you have to pay the Zakaah again (to someone else).

The evidence for this is the story of the man who gave money in charity, and he gave charity first to a prostitute and the people began to talk, saying: “Have you given money tonight to a prostitute?” He said: “All praise and thanks are to Allaah.”

Be mindful of envy due to what it contains of pain in the heart & no benefit !

Imaam Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee رحمه الله said:

Know that ENVY is a great disease of the heart, and the diseases of the hearts are not cured except with knowledge and action. The beneficial knowledge for curing envy is to know that in reality envy is harmful to you in (your) Religious and worldly affairs, and the envied one is neither harmed in his Religious nor worldly affairs; rather he is benefited by it.

Blessings do not cease from the person you envy. And even if you were not a believer in the resurrection this would (still) have necessitated a realization – if you are sensible – to be mindful of envy due to what it contains of pain in the heart along with NO benefit. So how about when you know of what it contains of punishment in the afterlife.

And the clarification of our statement:

“Indeed the envied one is neither harmed in his Religious nor worldly affairs, rather he is benefited by it in his Religious and worldly affairs;”

– because what Allaah has decreed for him of blessings has to continue until the end of the lifespan He decreed for him. And there is no harm upon him in the hereafter (due to being envied) because he has not committed any sin in that; rather he is benefited by it, because he is someone receiving oppression from you, especially when the envy comes out through speech and action. As for the benefit in the worldly life (i.e. the benefits of being envied), it is that the most important goal of the creation is (to witness) the grief of an enemy; and there is no punishment greater than the envy you find yourself in.

Thoughts that Revolve in the Soul

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

It is well known that man has not been given the power to kill his thoughts nor the strength to severe them. They invade him just as his breathing invades his body.

However the strength of eemaan and intellect helps him to accept his best thoughts, to be pleased with them, to experience peace and tranquility from them. It also helps him to repulse his most evil thoughts and dislike and recoil from them.

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى created the soul similar to a grinding stone that goes round and round – one that does not stop; and always in need of something to grind. If seeds are placed therein it will grind them. If stones are placed therein it will still grind them.

Islaam is the ONLY religion that will be accepted by Allaah !!

كَنْزُالأَطْفاَل

(The Children's Treasure)

Taught by: Umm Hyatt al-Ameriki  حفظها الله

Question #18:  

 مَا هُوَ الدِّينُ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللهُ غَيْرَهُ؟

What is the religion that  Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى will not accept other than it?

Answer:

   Islaam  -  هُو: الإسلام     

Daleel is in Surah Aali Imran where Allaah  سبحانه وتعالىsays:

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ

'And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him..'

(Aali Imran 3:85)

The meaning is :

Whoever seeks another way of life, another religion, other than the religion that Allaah سبحانه وتعالى is pleased with, which is al-Islaam, then Allaah  سبحانه وتعالىwill NOT accept this from him and this is in Mukhtasar fi Tafseer.

Imâm as Sa'dee رحمه الله further mentions that whoever requests for another religion other than what Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى is pleased with, then know that whatever action he does is rejected and will NOT be accepted. 

Why? 

 Read & download Q18

What is Sabr?

By Imâm Ibnul Qayyim 

The Meaning of Patience!

In the Arabic language, 'Sabr' means ‘to hold fast, cease, or choke’. For example, in Bedouin Arabic, to say 'one has been killed by sabr,' means one is choked to death. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says,

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ

"Moreover, keep yourself patient in the company of those (humble believers) who call upon their Lord (with devotion) in the morning and in the evening, desiring (only) His Face."

(Al-Kahf 18:28)

Sabr in this verse means to ‘hold onto’.

Thus, Sabr means to hold oneself from anxiety (jaza) and anger (tasakhkhut) , to hold one’s tongue from complaint, and to hold one’s body from disgraceful movements.

It is of three types: Patience in obeying Allaah (namely, perseverance), patience in avoiding Allaah’s disobedience (namely, resolve), and patience in Allaah’s tests. The first two of these are related to voluntary acts, over which we as humans have control. The last pertains to what happens to us (by Allaah’s decree) wherein we have no choice.

The Patience of the Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام

I have heard Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله say:

“(The Prophet) Yusuf’s patience in resisting the temptation of the minister’s wife was higher than his patience regarding his brothers’ throwing him into the well and separating him from his father, for the latter happened to him without his choice. In such cases, a servant of Allaah has no option but patience. But his perseverance in avoiding the seduction (of the minister’s wife) involved his choice and pleasure (resulting from his volitional obedience to Allaah), and struggling against his self.